Lost and Found
by missBENNETT
Summary: Corny learns from someone important that there are some things in life you don't want until you can't have them.
1. The Little Blue Box

**Okay, so this is an idea that popped into my head with the help of linklovesme. This was also an excuse to make fun of Brad, which is something I never pass up. Enjoy!**

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Lost And Found

"Brenda, baby, I've got somethin' to ask you."

Brad Bailey couldn't help but smile down at his girlfriend on the worn, living room couch of his parent's home. She smiled politely at him, her hands folded and lying on top of the large swell that was her stomach as she said, "What is it, Brad?" He bit his bottom lip, trying to bite back the large grin that was trying to escape him. He nudged his foot against the floor, and finally, he spoke: "Bren, with this baby on the way, I've been trying to put everything in perspective. I mean, we're gonna be parents; we're gonna be responsible for not only our own life anymore. I want our baby to be happy and loved and accepted, and I want that pretty smile to stay on your face."

She gave him a curious look, unsure what exactly he was talking about. Sure, she'd been smiling less; that tends to happen when society completely exiles you. The only ones who hadn't left her, it seemed, were Brad and Shelley, and she was thankful for that much. Brad loved her, obviously, and the truth could not come out now. He thought the baby was his, considering the fact that Brenda told him it was, and if he learned otherwise, he'd leave her just like everyone else had. Shelley had been her best friend since childhood, and she was always the one to catch Brenda on (most of) her mistakes and be bluntly honest about every situation.

But Shelley was not there that day, the day that Brad got down on one knee and offered Brenda a ring. She wasn't there to tell Brenda not to accept it, that it would only make things more difficult in the long run. "Oh, Brad, of course I'll marry you!" Brenda feigned complete excitement, allowing him to slide the small silver ring on her finger and take her into his arms the best he could. She kissed his cheek, and Brad mumbled into her hair, "I love you, Brenda. I love you so much." Brenda smiled, swallowing the lump that had formed rather quickly in her throat. He had honestly asked her to be his forever; there was no turning back from this point on. He was going down in flames with her, and he was giving his future away for a child that wasn't even his, for a girl who didn't deserve what he was giving her.

"…I love you, too, Brad."

* * *

Corny Collins was sitting in his office, surprisingly alone and going through some papers. Typically, very little business was done in the office, but he had other things on his mind that day. Sure, a romp with one of the councilettes could usually take his mind off anything, but it was one particular councilette that was causing the problem. Knuckles rapped on the solid, wood door, and Corny looked up from his papers. "Come in," he said, and the door opened hesitantly. He set down his things and put on a smile for his guest, only to have it fade in an instant.

"Hey, Corny."

"Brenda."

His gaze didn't leave her as she stepped inside, taking a moment to seat herself in the chair in front of his desk. Her stomach was getting bigger, he noted, deciding that she was at least six or seven months along already. She looked up at his handsome face, taking a deep breath. "So…I'm sure Brad already told you." She said sadly, and Corny nodded while looking back at his papers. "Yep. Gave me his resignation this morning. Said he needed a real job to take care of you and the baby."

Brenda shook her head, quietly saying, "I told him to stay here and finish out the year. But when Brad sets his mind to something…" She trailed off, and Corny was quick to finish her sentence: "He gets it, no matter what. No wonder you two go so well together." Brenda bit her lip at his comment, not entirely appreciating his attitude towards her. She looked down at her stomach, thinking that it wasn't fair for him to say that to her. Sure, she'd started out chasing him, but it wasn't like he didn't give in almost instantly. All it had taken were a few batted eyelashes, some nonchalant touches, some dirty suggestions, and soon enough they were rattling the desk drawers loose in his office. That very same desk that Brad's resignation papers and her leave of absence papers were sitting at that very moment.

"We're moving, too. Well, Brad and I are. Shelley's parents didn't want me staying with them anymore, so we got a down payment on this little duplex near the suburbs where we use to live." Brenda tried to change the subject off Corny's less-than-necessary comment. He looked up at her, biting the inside of his cheek. "That's…good. You're getting a new start, kind of. I wish you the best of luck." He knew she thought he was just being a prick about it, but he honestly hoped that she and the baby could be happy. Just so long as he wasn't asked to be involved. She looked at him, quickly losing interest in the conversation. "Gee, thanks. I should probably go. Wouldn't want to distract you from all your important business things." She rose slowly from her chair, turning to walk out the door. She knew she shouldn't have even bothered with him; it had just been a waste of both their time.

"Bren, wait."

His voice surprised her, and she stopped in her tracks. Turning slightly, she watched Corny rise from his seat as she pulled something out of his top left drawer. In his hand he held a small, blue box, and he carried it over to her. He opened his mouth to speak, but it took a moment for words to come out. He set it in her hand, finally saying, "Think of it as a wedding present. Congratulations." Corny gave her as small nod, then turned around and went back to his desk. Brenda watched him sit, going back to his papers like she wasn't even there, and then she walked out the door with the small box in hand.

Later that night, sitting alone on Brad's beside, she finally got the nerve to open it.

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Clara Cecilia Bailey was a beautiful girl, as many people had expected. Brenda was always beautiful, and Brad wasn't half-bad either. She looked completely and utterly like her mother, with dark curly hair and bright, blue eyes. She had a smile that could light up a room, and a voice like a chorus of angels. She grew up in the duplex with her mom, dad, and her little brother Brad Junior, who was half her age almost exactly. She had many friends in school, part of what her mother jokingly called 'the Amber crowd', but Clara never understood why.

Her father worked all day, having climbed his way up the work ladder by managing the grocery store he'd bagged groceries at when his girlfriend first got pregnant. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom, spending her afternoons cleaning, helping watch the neighbor's baby boy, and gossiping with Shelley Simon over the phone. Clara and BJ spent their afternoon in the tire swing that hung from the oak tree, Clara pushing her little brother until either she got too tired or he fell off. They were closer than most of her friends were with their siblings, but that never bothered her. She loved her little brother, and her mother always smiled at their closeness in a most peculiar way.

And then, the Bailey's got a new neighbor. It wasn't until 1976, when Clara was fourteen that someone finally moved into that vacant house that had sat there empty for Clara's entire life, and she was curious to see why someone would finally pick it. While BJ was hanging for dear life on the tire swing, Clara went over to the fence and glanced around. The movers were carrying in furniture and whatnot, and Clara was unable to find someone who wasn't wearing a moving uniform. She watched for a moment longer, then decided that she would have to wait and see.

"I've got neighbors spyin' on me already, I see."

Clara spun around at the voice, a small smile crossing her face as she realized that she'd been caught. There was a man on the other side of the fence, smiling pleasantly at her as he leaned nonchalantly against the fence. Clara apologized, "Sorry. My mom always tells me not to be nosy, but…sometimes I just can't help it." He chuckled as she stepped closer to the fence, saying, "Well, sometimes it's good to be nosy. Nice to meet ya, kid." He reached his hand over the fence, and Clara smiled at him as she shook it. He looked at her, his eyes stopping at the base of her neck. Dangling there was a necklace; a small gold chain with a ring on it. Not just any ring, but a ring that had once belonged to her father, her _real_ father. A Corny Collins council ring. The one that had been given to her mother before she walked out of his life for good. "I'm Clara Bailey, sir. Nice to meet you, too. Um, what did you say your name was?"

"You can just call me Corny."

**TBC**

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Yeah, it's gonna be a chapter story. I have other things planned out, but I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to get to it all. Writing is somthing I have little timeto do as of late, so don't expect daily updates. But I'll try to go as fast as I can! Please review, by the way!

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	2. Guess Again

**Whew, okay. I got to update quicker than I thought I would. Woohoo! Anyways, thanks to all the reviewers; I really apprieciate the feedback. I'd also like to mention that this chapter doesn't do too much, but it sets up the important stuff for the next segment. Enjoy!**

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She knew that name. Corny Collins was the host of the show her parents danced on when they were younger, the guy that her father had idolized and her mother had scoffed at. His namesake hung on the chain around her neck, the council ring that Brenda had given her little girl on her tenth birthday. "Your father gave it to me before the wedding." She had said, and that was a complete and total truth. Brad had lost his ring shortly after quitting the show, and Brenda had easily convinced him that she had found it and kept it. Brad was pleased with the idea; after all, why would he think otherwise?

"You're Corny Collins? From the TV show?" Clara asked, and Corny smiled his well-practiced grin. It was good to know that she at least knew who he was. The show had ended its run when she was at least six or seven, and there was a strong chance that Brenda wouldn't allow her little girl to watch. It wasn't like he and Brenda had ended on completely lovely terms. "Yep, that's me. I see you've got one of my council rings there." Clara smiled, glancing down at the thin chain that hung around her neck. She let her fingers slide over the old ring, nodding as she said, "My mom gave it to me, and my dad gave it to her."

"Brad and Brenda, I'm guessing. Right?" he asked, and Clara nodded again. "Yeah, how'd you…well, actually, I guess the last name gave it away. Never mind. BJ, come here!" She said, calling to the brown-haired boy on the tire swing behind her. Corny held back a chuckle; she had a bit of a short attention span, something that Brenda would _insist_ she inherited from her birth father. The smaller boy came rushing over, rather dizzily at that, with a smile that was lacking a front tooth. _Only Bren would name her kid BJ,_ Corny though rather morosely, and Clara spoke with her little brother. "BJ, this is Corny, our new neighbor. Say hi." The littler boy waved up at him, saying, "I like your name, Mister!"

Corny chuckled, "Well, thanks. It's better than having everyone call you Cornwallis all the time." Clara and BJ giggled, and Corny raised an eyebrow at them. "Making fun of my name already? Gee, what a nice neighborhood." Clara shook her head, saying, "No, it's just…a different name. I don't like my name either. It makes me feel like I should be living on the prairie and wearing a bonnet or something." Before Corny could respond, a car horn beeped in the driveway. Clara, BJ, and Corny turned to see Brad getting out of his car, a large smile on his stubbly face. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Corny Collins! Long time no see!"

Corny waved. "Hey there, Brad! Looks like we're neighbors!" Brad slung his jacket over his shoulder, walking over to the fence. He ruffled BJ's hair and kissed the side of Clara's head before extending his hand to Corny. They shook, and Brad smiled, "You're kidding me. What a coincidence." Corny shrugged with a slight chuckle, saying, "It's hard to go anywhere in Baltimore and _not_ find a former council kid somewhere. Or at least one of_ their_ kids. How's Brenda been?" Clara and BJ stood silently and watched their father beam at his wife's name. "Oh, Bren's great. She's probably in the kitchen making dinner right now." Then, a brilliant idea struck. "Well, Corny, since you're just getting all your things moved in, why don't you come and join us? I'm sure Brennie would love to see you again."

"Well, if you insist."

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Brenda smiled down at the roast she'd slaved over all evening, deciding that it couldn't get anymore perfect. She wanted Brad to be semi-distracted, and that was a task easily done by good food. Or anything else, for that matter. She had been considering getting a job, and she had been offered a position as a receptionist for the business man who lived down the road. BJ was getting old enough that he didn't need her around all the time, and she figured it was a chance for her to try and do something worthwhile. Setting her hands on her hips, she glanced up at the clock. He'd be getting in the door any minute. Just as the thought left her mind, a pair of hand covered her eyes. A slight giggle escaped her. "Brad?"

"Guess again."

That voice. No, she was imagining it. She quickly spun around as his hands fell back to his sides, and Brenda found herself forcing a painfully large smile. "Corny! Oh my God!" She faked complete excitement, watching Brad and her children smile back at her as Corny extended his arms to hug her. Not wanting to reveal her distaste for her former employer and cause her husband to ask questions, she hugged him right back. "Corny, it's been years." She said as her head rested on his shoulder, and Corny replied, "I know, I know. You look great, Bren."

"What brings you here?" Brenda asked, pulling out of the hug. Corny's smile widened at her obvious (at least to him) desire for him to leave and not come back. "Well, I just moved in next door. Clara here was the first to welcome me to the neighborhood. You raised her good, Bren, at least from what I can see." He gave the teenaged girl a small wink, and she smiled politely. Clara turned to her mother, not noticing her discomfort. "Mom, d'you want me to set the table?" Brenda nodded, and Brad piped up, "Don't forget to set an extra place for Corny. BJ, get in the bathroom and wash those tire swing hands."

"Sure, Dad!" BJ exclaimed, holding out his rubbery smelling hands as he headed down the hallway. Brad came over beside his wife, kissing her temple and saying, "Hope you don't mind, babe. I just figured we could all catch up on old times." Brenda smiled at him, nodding. "Not a problem, sweetheart. Go make sure BJ doesn't make any side trips back outside, please. Last time he tracked in so much dirt…" Brad chuckled, heading out down the hallway to hunt down his little chip off the old block. Brenda's smile remained plastered on her face until Brad left, and then it fell out completely. "What the _hell_ are you doing, Corny?" She practically hissed, and Corny put on a confused expression. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Am I honestly supposed to believe that you just _happened_ to move in next door? That's not a coincidence, Corny. That's an enormous impossibility." Corny smiled sneakily at her, a sparkle in his eyes that used to make her swoon completely. "I see you've expanded that vocabulary, Bren. Good for you." Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout, thoroughly annoyed by his sarcasm. Corny sighed, saying, "Okay, so _maybe_ I knew you lived in the area. Sue me for wanting to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Corny, if I were to sue you, it'd be for something completely different." She snapped, and Corny gave her a look. He had been hoping that Brenda wasn't the type to hold a grudge, but apparently, he was wrong. She'd clearly been hanging around Shelley Simon too much. Before Corny could come up with some sort of witty comeback, Brad reemerged with BJ at his side. She smiled at his wife, who grinned right back. "Dinner ready, honey?" he asked, and Brenda nodded. "Just out of the oven." She glanced back up at Corny, who kept that grin that had become his trademark. She turned away to put on her light blue oven mitts and take the roast into the living room.

She figured her job news would have to wait.

**TBC**

Ha, BJ. My best friend nearly killed me when I named the poor kid that. Well, this story is partially inspired by the show Swingtown (starring James Marsden's best friend Josh Hopkins, who is totally adorable BTW), and there's a kid named BJ (Bruce Junior) on it. It just fit. end ramble Please review! It makes me update faster!


	3. Really Truly Happy

**So, after the delay, here's the newest chapter! I've been having a serious case of writer's block, and I'm not particularly sure I like this chapter. But it gets the job done, I suppose. And I apologize for the shortness. Enjoy!**

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"So, Corny, you never settled down and started a family?"

Brenda's eyes shot up from her plate in Corny's direction as soon as the words left Brad's mouth. Clara and BJ were picking at their food, BJ more so picking it up with his fork and letting it fall back onto his plate in a bored manner while his sister tried her best to ignore him. Corny's eyes scanned the table rather quickly, then looked back to Brad with a smile. "Ah, no. Although I almost did. A couple years back, me and this gal Margot were engaged for a couple months. Needless to say, it didn't end too well."

"What happened?" Brenda pried slightly, more than eager to hear about Corny's failed relationships. At least, it was obvious to him. He bit his lip, then said, "Well…I found someone else…and then another someone else…while I was still kinda with Margot. She wasn't too pleased with the whole 'open relationship' idea I pitched to her." Brenda bit her lip to try and hide a growing smile, looking back down to the plate before her. Brad chuckled slightly, and Clara looked up at Corny with a small smile. "My friend Miriam's parents are trying that. They're really happy with each other now."

Brad didn't look at his daughter, but still responded. "Yes, well, Miriam isn't the most…stable girl around." Clara gave a small scoff, setting down her fork in an angsty teenaged manner. "Just because she's been with a few different guys lately doesn't mean anything, Dad. She just hasn't found the right one yet." Brad shook his head slightly, and Brenda looked up at him. This was not the time to be starting an argument with their daughter. "Brad, please. Miriam is a good girl, and we'll leave it at that." Miriam Maxwell was a very nice girl, and she was also one of Clara's close friends. She lived just down the block, and perhaps Brenda felt closeness with the girl because she knew what she was going through. After all, she herself had been through a questionable selection of men, two of them sitting around the dinner table with her. Clara rolled her eyes and asked, "May I be excused, Mom?"

"Yes, honey. Go ahead." Brenda said as Brad opened his mouth to say 'no', and Clara promptly left the table with her plate in hand. BJ was still playing with his food, completely ignoring everything around him. Corny watched the young girl leave, and then turned to Brad. "Teenagers never change, do they?" Both the men chuckled at the comment, and BJ finally looked up. "Mommy, I'm tired." Brenda smiled warmly at him and said, "Well, sweetheart, do you want me to tuck you in?"

"No, I want Daddy to."

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Brad took his son down the hall to put him to bed, and Clara had long since locked herself in her room and called up Miriam on the new phone they had allowed in her bedroom. This left Corny right where he wanted to be: Alone with Brenda for the first time in years. She was in the kitchen, setting the dishes in the sink as Corny leaned against the fridge and watched her silently. She could practically feel his eyes burning holes in her back, so she swiftly turned to him and asked, "Okay, as much as I appreciate the fact that I for once have your complete attention, _what do you want_?"

"What do you_ think_ I want, Bren?" Corny gave her a small smirk, and Brenda's hands fell on her hips. She was not in the mood to be playing games with Corny Collins, but he clearly didn't care. He kept his arms folded over his chest, watching her with that goddamn smirk and waiting for her answer. Brenda sighed, "You want a lot of things. I know you well enough to know there isn't one answer to that question." He chuckled slightly, then said, "Well, that's probably true, but what do you think I want right now?"

A sigh escaped her light pink lips. "Corny, please don't play games with me. I'm really not in the mood for it. It's been a long afternoon." She sounded completely done with the conversation, so Corny decided to reel her back in as quickly as he could. "I understand that, but just listen to me for a sec, please." He took her hand, pulling her a little closer as she glared at him over the brim of her petite nose. Corny sighed with a bemused smile, glancing her over for a moment. "You are still one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen, Bren."

Her mouth fell open slightly in disbelief as she stepped back. Holding up her hands in exasperation, she said, "No. Don't even _try_ that with me, Corny. I'm married, _happily._ Really, truly happy for the first time in my life, happy to have unnecessary complications finally out of my hair. But then you show up, acting like nothing has changed." Corny watched her call him out in silence, but at that last comment, he had to say something. "Bren, a lot has changed._ I've_ changed. Since the show finished its run, I've been tryin' to put my life in order. Make amends with all the people I've hurt."

"Gee, was I at the top of the list? Is that why you decided it'd be a good idea to move in next door? So you could _apologize_?" Brenda snapped, and Corny fell silent. "I don't want your apologies, Corny. I stopped caring about anything you had to say the day you let me walk out the door and marry another guy. I figured that, if I was worth anything to you, you would have stopped me. But you didn't. So I grew up and moved on. Isn't it about time you did the same?"

Corny Collins looked at her, speechless for the first time in years. Move on? How could she say that? Brenda had been the girl that had been in love with him, pursued him relentlessly, and now she was disgusted with the sight of him. Clearly, he'd done more damage than he'd realized. And it wasn't necessarily an apology he'd come for. But before he could make a complete sentence to come back with, footsteps down the hallway turned into the presence of Brad standing beside him. A hand clamped down on his shoulder in a friendly way as Brenda turned back to her dishes. "Wanna beer, man?" Brad asked, and Corny shook his head.

"Ah, no. But I should probably be gettin' back home soon. Thanks anyways."

**TBC**

Oh, Cornwallis. Shot down in an instant. Will his luck change, you ask? Why is he trying to pursue dear Brennie again? Just wait and see. Please review, also. It makes me a smile (and sometimes encourages me to write more!).


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